La Trobe University - Library: Medieval Music Database - Annual cycle of feasts of liturgical chant, liturgical polyphony and secular music of the late middle ages.

Library Home

MMDB Home

Browse

	By Text
	By composer
	By Genre
	By Manuscript
	Complete Manuscripts
	By Liturgical Feast

	By Text
	By Melody
	By Descriptor

Scribe Software

What's New

Contact

Medieval Music Database

Helas! et comment aroie
virelai by Guillaume de Machaut

Sources

New York: Wildenstein Collection, fol. 328 (1/1);
Paris: Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 843 (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1584 (MachA), fol. 487 (1/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1585 (MachB), fol. 326 (1/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 1586 (MachC), fol. 155 (1/1); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 9221 (MachE), fol. 160v (text); Bibliothèque Nationale, fonds français 22546 (MachG), fol. 158v (1/1);
Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Library, French MS 15, number 206 (text).

Editions

1. Guillaume de Machaut: Musikalische Werke. Erster Band: Balladen, Rondeaux und Virelais, edited by Friedrich Ludwig, Wiesbaden: Breitkopf & Härtel, 1926, p. 78.
2. The Works of Guillaume de Machaut, Second Part, edited by Leo Schrade, Monaco: Editions de L'Oiseau-Lyre, 1956. Polyphonic Music of the Fourteenth Century III, p. 177.
3. Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377), p. 9.
Text Editions
Guillaume de Machaut: poésies lyriques, 2 vols., edited by V. Chichmaref, Paris: 1909, p. 602.
Literature
1. MACHABEY, Armand. Guillaume de Machault, 130?-1377: La vie et l'oeuvre musicale, 2 vols, Paris: Richard-Masse-Editeur, 1955. Bibliothèque d'études musicales, pp. 185-186.
2. GÜNTHER, Ursula. Der musikalische Stilwandel der französischen Liedkunst in der zweiten Hälfte des 14. Jahrhunderts, dargestelt an Virelais, Balladen und Rondeax von Machaut., Ph.D. dissertation, University of Hamburg: 1957, Chapter 4.3.
3. POIRION, Daniel. Le Moyen-Age. II: 1300-1480, Paris: Arthaud, 1971, p. 62.
4. GÜNTHER, Ursula. 'Contribution de la musicologie à la biographie et à la chronologie de Guillaume de Machaut', Guillaume de Machaut, poète et compositeur. Colloque - Table Ronde, 1978, pp. 95-116.
Text
Helas! et comment aroie
Bien ne joie.
Ne dont me venroit baudour.
Quant faire ne puis que j'oye
Ne que voie.
Dame, vo fine doucour?

Par m'ame, je ne le scay
Ne saray.
Lonteins de vous que j'aour.
Pour ce qu'ades, sans delay.
A l'essay
Sui d'avoir toute dolour;
Car loing de vous tout m'anoie
Et desvoie
Mon cuer, et tient en irour
Dont pour vostre amour morroie
Se j'estoie
Longuement en telle ardour.

Helas! et comment aroie...

Helas! et comment aroie...

Nonpourquant tant com vivray.
Vous seray
Loyaus, sans penser folour.
Et vostre gentil corps gay
Serviray
Humblement et a s'onnour;
Si que durer ne porroie.
Se n'avoie
Confort de vostre valour
Contre desir qui guerroie
Et maistroie
Mon cuer et tient en langour.

Helas! et comment aroie...

Helas! et comment aroie...

Las il tient en tel esmay
Mon cuer vray
Que je ne scay le piour
Eslire des maus que tray:
Tant en ay.
Et tant desir le retour
Vers vous, dame simple et coie.
Or n'est voie
Que puisse trouver ne tour.
Et dou pis qu'Amours m'envoie.
C'est que soie
Loing de vo faitis atour.

Helas! et comment aroie...
Translation
Alas! and how should I have
Well-being or joy.
Or any thing that might bring me pleasure.
When I am not able to hear
Or to see.
Lady, your great sweetness?

By my soul, I do not know
Nor shall I know.
Far from you whom I adore.
Since at this moment, without respite.
I am in danger
Of finding every sorrow;
For far from you everything grieves me
And leads astray
My heart, and keeps it in anguish
Which for love of you would kill me
If I were
Too long in such fervour.

Alas! and how should I have...

Alas! and how should I have...

Nevertheless, as long as I live
I will be
Loyal to you, without thoughts of folly.
And your sweet lovely body
I will serve
Humbly and in honour;
So that I could not live
If I did not have
Strength from your goodness
Against desire which makes war
And masters
My heart and keeps it in langour.

Alas! and how should I have...

Alas! and how should I have...

Alas, it keeps in such anguish
My true heart
That I cannot choose the worst
Of the ills I suffer;
I have so many.
And I desire so much to return
To you, simple modest lady.
Now there is no way
Or turn I can find.
And the worst thing Love sends me
Is that I am
Far from your delightful charms.

Alas! and how should I have...
Text revision and translation © Jennifer Garnham

Content Approved by: MMDB Director
Last updated: Wednesday, 19 March 2003

Cantus

CAO-ECE

Cantus Planus

Vulgate

DIAMM

TML

Latin Dictionary